Pride Month Series: Luigi Picarazzi

Hi friends! Wishing you all a happy and love filled Pride Month from the Boyfriend Team and yours truly. This June, we want to celebrate love and equality by exploring the connection between fragrance and self-expression by speaking to our LGBTQIA+ team members on what pride means to them and how the concept of a signature scent has helped them express their own identity. Up first is our leader in charge, Luigi Picarazzi, the CEO and founder of Digital Media Management and partner at Boyfriend.

I first met Luigi Picarazzi around 2009 at the beginning of what I call the Twitter era! My publicist at the time was on the side of social media not really being a necessity and thought it was a flash in the pan, but they said “hey there is this one guy, Luigi, and his company Digital Media Management.” As soon as I met him, it was love at first sight. From the start, he was truly incredible with such foresight, and really helped me start to conquer the world of social media while I was in the midst of shooting Private Practice. He was always ahead of his time and started DMM with just 8 employees, and has since currently given around 200 employees and counting an amazing livelihood. 

Luigi saw and shared my vision for Boyfriend Perfume to be a digital direct-to-consumer brand and he really helped to collaborate the brand’s entire relaunch in a completely non-traditional way while engaging with fans in a new way all while maintaining Boyfriend’s elegance. As the business grew in it’s success, he was there with me every step of the way to help promote and expand with such incredible ideas. Not only did Luigi bring his expertise, but he brought with him a truly powerful team of experts that helped me take Boyfriend to the next level. 

It has been an epic ride, and I consider him one of my best friends, comrades, and business partners for life. I’m so excited for you to meet Luigi Picarazzi.

-Kate Walsh

Hi there.  My name is Luigi Picarazzi, and I am the President of Boyfriend and Kate's business partner.  I have worked with Kate ever since she launched Boyfriend over 10 years ago and partnered with her to bring the scent back to all of you that love it.  I am also a gay man, living in Los Angeles with his other "boyfriend" Vini.'

Pride for me is about increasing visibility of LGBTQIA+ individuals in the world, so that we can make it safer for those who are struggling with their sexuality to come out.  Pride is also a really beautiful time for me to connect with my community, whom I miss so much. 

 What I love about the Boyfriend brand we have created is that it stands for SELF LOVE, which connects very beautifully to Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community.  As the great RuPaul says "If you cant love yourself, how in the hell are you supposed to love somebody else (Can I get an Amen!)".  It's the love and acceptance of myself that was necessary before I was able to even consider love with someone else. 

Thanks to all of our customers, for not only supporting this small and mighty brand, but for supporting love and equality.  We feel how much love you have for this brand and we hope you feel the same amount for YOU!

 xo Luigi